Southeast hosts virtual event celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Southeast Missouri State University hosted its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration virtually Wednesday evening featuring a keynote speech from world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator Nikki Giovanni.

The theme of this year's MLK Celebration was "Speaking to the Moment: Reconciling the Dream." The event, hosted by Southeast students Raven Cole and Anthony Shepard, featured musical performances from Southeast student Peighton Robinson and guest artist Dr. Jonathan Bibbs, invocation and benediction from pastor Stafford Moore of Mount Moriah Ministries and remarks and acknowledgments by Southeast president Carlos Vargas, in addition to Giovanni's keynote speech.

Vargas thanked the MLK committee for their effort in holding the event, one he said he looks forward to each year, despite not being able to have it in person. Vargas spoke on his admiration for King's commitment to non-violence and education.

"His commitment to this principle was deep and unwavering, in spite of the fact that he was often on the receiving end of violence," Vargas said. "He was clear about his approach. Non-violence means avoiding not only external, physical violence, but also internal violence of the spirit."

Giovanni shared some of her poetry, and discussed the struggles of growing up as a Black woman during segregation. She touched on the stories of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was beaten to death for allegedly whistling at and flirting with a white woman in 1955 in Mississippi, and Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist known for her role in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, among others. She called for the end of the killing of unarmed black men and women, and attacks on the Asian community in America.

"They want to be called white supremacists, and there's nothing supreme about hate," Giovanni said. "There's nothing supreme about getting together in the middle of the night and killing people. That's cowardess, and it began with what the Black community was trying to do."

Southeast continues to hold Black History Month events and activities throughout the month. For more information on the various events and activities, visit semo.edu/mlk/events.